Medication management for patients with Parkinson's: the impact of a nurse specialist and non-medical prescribing in the hospital setting

Abstract

Background Parkinson's UK conducted the Get it On Time campaign in 2006 to highlight the difficulties people with Parkinson's experience when admitted to hospital. Aim This article reports on two related audits that focus on the impact of non-medical prescribing in a hospital setting for patients who are admitted with Parkinson's disease. Method An audit was undertaken to identify what was happening in a one district general hospital. Service developments were implemented with the introduction of a hospital-based Parkinson's specialist nurse with the non-medical prescribing qualification providing early assessment and liaison with the treating surgical and medical teams to ensure the Parkinson's condition was managed. A second audit was completed to assess the impact. Results At baseline patients experienced frequent medication errors and extended length of stay. The evaluation audit revealed a reduced length of stay and a decrease in medication errors. Conclusion The implementation of a Parkinson's specialist nurse with the non-medical prescribing qualification along with an alert system, helped improve the outcomes for patients with Parkinson's on admission to hospital. The reduction in length of stay demonstrated cost savings. Evidencing the positive outcome of this service improvement, has allowed the continuation of the specialist nursing role and is recommended as one aspect of developing hospital services for people with Parkinson's.